LIFEBOAT crews fear being scuppered by crippling new charges for
using their radios from Ofcom, the communications regulator. The RNLI
could see the price of using its VHF emergency frequencies rise to
£250,000 under plans to charge the full commercial rate.

The charity, which saves hundreds of lives every year currently pays
an annual £48,000 at a discounted rate of 50 per cent. It relies on
donations and fears the move will have a disastrous impact on
fundraising. Peter Bradley, RNLI operations staff officer,
said: ‘It’s a lot of money when you think in terms of lifeboat days
and little old ladies collecting pound coins.’

‘We could buy several inshore lifeboats for the same amount.’

‘The Government rely on us to provide this search-and-rescue service,
at a cost of £124 million a year, but they want to charge us for
doing it!’

Ofcom has set out plans to bring ‘market forces’ into maritime and
civil aviation communications in a policy it calls Administered
Incentive Pricing.

£250,000 represents an awful lot of charity collections, even more so
in the current economic climate so, if like me you feel strongly
enough about this, please sign the petition below.

Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior was spotted moored at southend pier this saturday, 7 Sandhoppers set off from TBYC to represent the club and handed them a TBYC flag which they immediately hoisted and is flying proudly from their mid mast, you never know we may get the flag on the TV as a camera crew was filming at the time, many thanks to those who took part.

All of the following people have won prizes this year, please please please turn up to the prizegiving on the 1st November at 20.00hrs to collect your hard earned prizes. just remember this those who dont turn up the prizes go to the rear commodores drinking fund.

Well done David White and Adam Piggott, sailing at Brightlingsea Regfest, They were made Spitfire junior national champions and came second overall one point behind the winner at the Open, would that be a mention on the board I wonder?
This last weekend at Grafham, Hugh styles phoned him and asked to sail with him on hugh’s boat and they had 4 bullets a second and a sixth, however unfortunately the first two races were disqualified cos they went through the start line downwind (hugh was driving) so they didn’t win the event – they need to be helped through that!He had a good weekend though, said he learn’t a lot but needs to talk to Kyle on what he was doing wrong (Only Kidding). Well done David it seems the cat section of TBYC are doing well representing the club around the country.

Congratulations to Kyle Stoneham for winning a windy Sprint Inlands at Grafham this weekend. Martyn Ellis also had a good result with a 7th, and I was, er, 12th. I did however manage 3rd in the TT series, of which the Inlands was the final and best attended event.

Kyle’s achievement is all the greater for the fact that his boat is by no means new and neither is his sail. It all goes to show it’s not the equipment, it’s the person on the tiller. It’s a fact that Kyle regularly goes out after work and PRACTICES – upwind, downwind, tacks, gybes, 360 degree turns, and starting. He also thinks about what he does and why he does it.

All in all, it’s been a good year for the Thorpe Bay Spint 15 fleet, with two titles and a growing reputation on the circuit.

The final fling was held in testing conditions with 17 boats battling a 30 mph southerly wind for the top spot,

race officer Andrew hannah was having no nonscense with the starts and insisted on 3 of them, major culprits over on the first 2 were Alan Burrell with Paul spratt on Apollo ensuring they pushed a few over with them.

With the race underway Apollo lead with Sandstar and Satisfaction close on their heels, the entire fleet had some amazing surfing on the downwind leg with positions swapping constantly, 3 laps tested many crews with a few exhausted at the end.

Apollo took line honours with sandstar in 2nd and satisfaction 3rd, maiden voyage blue jacket with the Barnes duo put in a good performance and were awarded the ‘Golden Anchor’ for showing the rest of the fleet how to launch your kite clew first, well done Nic!! Also on their maiden voyage were messers Gibson and Wolfe who pressganged local national champion dan Henderson and put in a fantastic first race even if they did pull half their fittings out of the boat.

many of us sailed 3 up and thoroughly enjoyed the event, Steve Hopper and Peter Thompson won the cash sweepstake, whilst messers Burrell and Spratt took the sunday trophy and the much sort after final fling trophy kindly donated by Hannah and Tony Padbury.

many thanks to Andrew hannah the race officer, Tony Clarke and Peter Evens for safety support and to rupert snow for finishing behind me again for the 26th time this year.